The hazards of being a writer

My sincerest apologies for being so late! Just as I was starting to write today's post, my parents dropped by, and that usually renders me pretty useless in regards to thoughts and emotions. A bit of a defense mechanism against judgement, I suppose.

But the panic of having to then write up the post, albeit it quite late, struck me as something writers have to contend with. Whether they're full time, part time, or just do it

Courtesy of Thomas Hawk, Flickr.com

as a hobby, there are so many outside sources of distraction that can cause someone's writing to be, well, less than regular. Top of the list? Family. Especially for those who write full time. People tend to think that, well, you're just writing, and that it can wait, because they need to come over and talk about anything and everything. They'll happily distract you for hours on end, while you're sitting there desperately hoping that your will to write today will stick around until they're gone, trying not to pull out your hair and scream in frustration.
Or is that just me?
In any case, just as they frustrate you with distractions, they'll often also then constantly pester you with questions: "So, when's your next book coming out? Why aren't you done already? How long does it take to write a book? Surely you're done now?"

Courtesy of TempasVolat, Flickr.com

I don't know about other writers and authors, but I can tell you that I often feel like bursting out into a huge lecture on how the endless questions and inane discussions are keeping you from writing the books that I'm constantly being asked about. Books don't write themselves, and I'm not one of those writers who can pump out 10k minimum words a day. I have an extremely fleeting muse, and if I try to force my writing, it just doesn't work. So you can imagine, those times that I actually do manage to sit down and start writing that any outside distractions cause incredible irritation.

The point of this post is this: if you have someone in your family, or a friend who is a writer, then please, don't expect them to always be happy for a surprise visit. Especially for a full time writer. Our days aren't spent in front of the TV or on Facebook all day (alright, a lot of us do keep Facebook on while we write, but sometimes the option of a distraction without the actual distraction is all someone needs to be productive), our time is just as important as someone who has full time employment. So please, be courteous and call to arrange a time to visit, and don't take offense if we say we are busy. Odds are, we might just be writing the next hit that will gain cult following!

Phoenix Johnson is an Australian author who has always had the passion for the written word. She had her nose in at least one book ever since she could read and would even scrutinize the back of the cereal box every morning at breakfast. It was only natural she take up writing.

After reviewing a few delicious titles for Naughty Nights Press as she wrote her first title, The Wolf in the Neighborhood, Phoenix was of one mind to submit it to NNP, and she hasn't looked back. The Return of Their Master now joins her first title for sale, and both books are receiving great reviews. Phoenix feels that being invited to write for the NNP blog is a great honour, and loves being part of the team!

You can get in touch with Phoenix on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr or view her website here, or buy her books direct from Naughty Nights Press, or other good ebook distributors.